The present invention relates to transporting apparatuses provided with air-supplying-type support means for supplying purified air toward a lower surface of a transported object to contactlessly support the transported object, drive force application means for applying a drive force in the transporting direction to the transported object, a first transport member, a second transport member, and a relay transport member that links the first transport member and the second transport member.
Such transporting apparatuses are used for transporting objects such as glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, and in conventional transporting apparatuses, the drive force application means is configured for dual-side driving for applying a drive force to both end sides in the width direction, which is perpendicular to the transporting direction, of the transported object so as to transport the transported object in a horizontal orientation or a substantially horizontal orientation (for example, see JP 2002-321820A).
With such transporting apparatuses it was not possible to transport the transported object in a second transporting direction that intersects a first transporting direction.
A different conventional transporting apparatus for changing the transporting direction of the transported object is provided with a first transport member for transporting the transported object in a first direction, a second transport member for transporting the transported object in a second transporting direction that intersects the first transporting direction, and a relay transport member for switching the transporting direction of a transported object that has been transported to the transporting downstream side end portion of the first transport member from the first transporting direction to the second transporting direction to deliver the transported object to the transporting upstream side end portion of the second transport member (for example, see JP 2000-62951A).
This relay transport member is provided with a holding mechanism for holding the transported object, a rotational driving member for rotating the holding mechanism about a vertical shaft, and an air cylinder for raising and lowering the holding mechanism, and is configured so as to hold a transported object that has been transported to the transporting downstream side end portion of the first transport member with the holding mechanism, raise the holding mechanism with the air cylinder and rotate the holding mechanism about a vertical shaft with the rotational driving member to position the transported object above the second transport member, and then lower the holding mechanism with the air cylinder and change the transporting direction from the first transporting direction to the second transporting direction to deliver the transported object to the transporting upstream side end portion of the second transport member.
With this transporting apparatus, the relay transport member is provided with a holding mechanism, an air cylinder, and a rotational driving member, for example, and it is necessary to transport the transported object over mechanisms positioned on the downstream transport portion side in the width direction, making the structure complicated. Moreover, the transporting apparatus has a structure for moving an entire device for contactlessly supporting the transported object on a rail. With such devices there is a limit to the length of the tube for delivering the air that is supplied for contactlessly supporting the transported object, and thus are not suited for use on long transport routes.